Overhead press strength standards

The overhead press e1RM that reaches each level, for men and women from 50 to 140 kg bodyweight. An 80 kg man is Intermediate at 48 kg; a 60 kg woman at 24 kg.

No recent single? Estimate it on the overhead press one-rep max calculator.

Men

Men: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.35 / 0.6 / 0.85 / 1.1 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	17.5	30	42.5	55
55 kg	19.5	33	47	60.5
60 kg	21	36	51	66
65 kg	23	39	55.5	71.5
70 kg	24.5	42	59.5	77
75 kg	26.5	45	64	82.5
80 kg	28	48	68	88
85 kg	29.5	51	72.5	93.5
90 kg	31.5	54	76.5	99
95 kg	33.5	57	81	104.5
100 kg	35	60	85	110
105 kg	37	63	89.5	115.5
110 kg	38.5	66	93.5	121
115 kg	40.5	69	98	126.5
120 kg	42	72	102	132
125 kg	44	75	106.5	137.5
130 kg	45.5	78	110.5	143
135 kg	47.5	81	115	148.5
140 kg	49	84	119	154

Men: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.35 / 0.6 / 0.85 / 1.1 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	39	66	94	121
120 lb	42	72	102	132
130 lb	46	78	111	143
140 lb	49	84	119	154
150 lb	53	90	128	165
160 lb	56	96	136	176
170 lb	59	102	145	187
180 lb	63	108	153	198
190 lb	67	114	162	209
200 lb	70	120	170	220
210 lb	74	126	179	231
220 lb	77	132	187	242
230 lb	81	138	196	253
240 lb	84	144	204	264
250 lb	88	150	213	275
260 lb	91	156	221	286
270 lb	95	162	230	297
280 lb	98	168	238	308
290 lb	102	174	247	319
300 lb	105	180	255	330
310 lb	109	186	264	341

Women

Women: the e1RM in kg that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.2 / 0.4 / 0.6 / 0.8 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
50 kg	10	20	30	40
55 kg	11	22	33	44
60 kg	12	24	36	48
65 kg	13	26	39	52
70 kg	14	28	42	56
75 kg	15	30	45	60
80 kg	16	32	48	64
85 kg	17	34	51	68
90 kg	18	36	54	72
95 kg	19	38	57	76
100 kg	20	40	60	80
105 kg	21	42	63	84
110 kg	22	44	66	88
115 kg	23	46	69	92
120 kg	24	48	72	96
125 kg	25	50	75	100
130 kg	26	52	78	104
135 kg	27	54	81	108
140 kg	28	56	84	112

Women: the e1RM in lb that reaches each level at each bodyweight. Ratios 0.2 / 0.4 / 0.6 / 0.8 × bodyweight; below Novice is Beginner.
Bodyweight	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
110 lb	22	44	66	88
120 lb	24	48	72	96
130 lb	26	52	78	104
140 lb	28	56	84	112
150 lb	30	60	90	120
160 lb	32	64	96	128
170 lb	34	68	102	136
180 lb	36	72	108	144
190 lb	38	76	114	152
200 lb	40	80	120	160
210 lb	42	84	126	168
220 lb	44	88	132	176
230 lb	46	92	138	184
240 lb	48	96	144	192
250 lb	50	100	150	200
260 lb	52	104	156	208
270 lb	54	108	162	216
280 lb	56	112	168	224
290 lb	58	116	174	232
300 lb	60	120	180	240
310 lb	62	124	186	248

What each level means for the overhead press

Beginner: Under 0.35 × bodyweight for men and 0.2 × for women (less than 28 kg at 80 kg, 12 kg at 60 kg). Where everyone starts.
Novice: From 0.35 × bodyweight for men and 0.2 × for women. A typical first year of consistent training lands here.
Intermediate: From 0.6 × for men and 0.4 × for women (48 kg and 24 kg at the example bodyweights). A couple of years of consistent training.
Advanced: From 0.85 × for men and 0.6 × for women (68 kg and 36 kg). Well past what a couple of years usually brings.
Elite: From 1.1 × for men and 0.8 × for women (88 kg and 48 kg). Competitive-level relative strength.

How to progress it in Beatweek

Overhead Press runs on double progression: climb the rep range at one weight, then add 2.5 kg and start the range again. The chip on the exercise card says which it is today; "Why?" gives the one-sentence reason.

Counts toward the overhead press standard: Overhead Press, Seated Barbell Overhead Press. Log any of them and the Progress screen shows your level and the kilograms to the next one, updated every workout.

Your level, every workout

Set bodyweight and sex once in the profile. Beatweek reads the best set you log and says it in one line: at 80 kg, 42.5 kg × 5 reads “Intermediate, 18.42 kg to Advanced”.

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Questions

What is a good overhead press for an 80 kg man?

On Beatweek’s table an 80 kg man reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 48 kg (0.6 × bodyweight), Advanced at 68 kg and Elite at 88 kg. Novice starts at 28 kg.

What is a good overhead press for a 60 kg woman?

On Beatweek’s table a 60 kg woman reaches Intermediate at an e1RM of 24 kg (0.4 × bodyweight), Advanced at 36 kg and Elite at 48 kg. Novice starts at 12 kg.

What overhead press should I expect after a year of training?

The table is set so that a typical first year of consistent training lands in Novice: 0.35 × bodyweight for men and 0.2 × for women, which is 28 kg for an 80 kg man and 12 kg for a 60 kg woman. A couple of years usually reaches Intermediate, 0.6 × and 0.4 ×.

What counts as an elite overhead press?

Elite means competitive-level relative strength: an e1RM of 1.1 × bodyweight for men and 0.8 × for women, so 88 kg for an 80 kg man and 48 kg for a 60 kg woman. The table ignores age, height and training age.

Methodology

These are Beatweek’s own tables, the ones the app uses: original round numbers, approximate and deliberately conservative. Each level is a ratio of your estimated one-rep max to bodyweight; the estimate is Epley, weight × (1 + reps / 30), from your best set. The tables ignore age, height and training age, so read them as a yardstick, not a validated norm. When sex is not set, the app uses the men’s table and says so. Table values are rounded to 0.5 kg or 1 lb.